


The One with the Photograph

by The_Clockwork_Monk



Series: Something Out of Someone Else's Life [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Banter, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Canon Compliant, During Canon, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Inspired by Friends (TV), Kissing, Missing Scene, Post-Canon, Post-War, Romance, SO MUCH BANTER, Sarcasm, Sarcastic Harry, Sarcastic Harry Potter, Sassy Ginny Weasley, Sassy Harry Potter, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:47:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24423739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Clockwork_Monk/pseuds/The_Clockwork_Monk
Summary: After their romantic encounter in the Gryffindor common room, Harry and Ginny get into an "argument" about who exactly kissed who.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Series: Something Out of Someone Else's Life [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1994494
Comments: 8
Kudos: 175





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the FRIENDS episode "The One With the Videotape"

"Hagrid!" Harry gasped, trying not to lose consciousness, "Hagrid! _Air!"_

Hagrid finally put Harry and Ginny down, soaking them in buckets of tears of joy. "S-Sorry…" he managed to choke out between his sobs.

Harry and Ginny had finally made their way out to the grounds. Their journey from the Gryffindor common room had taken some time, since they kept ducking into abandoned classrooms and isolated corners of corridors on the way to see if snogging got even better with different venues. It seemed to Harry that it was perfect in all locations, but he was willing to further experiment to be sure. Along the way, they had hardly ever broken physical contact, often awkwardly trying to walk with arms around each other's waists, resulting in many raised eyebrows and likely creating additional streams of gossip to go with the flood that was no doubt still pouring from the common room after their display at the celebration.

Harry thought they had finally gotten some privacy as they stopped under a lone tree on a hill overlooking the lake. That proved to be naive when a towering figure suddenly cast a shadow over them and interrupted their snogging session. Hagrid had come across them while walking back from the lake, carrying a fishing rod the size of a small flagpole.

Harry had just enough time to look up and see Hagrid's beaming grin before the giant let out a cheer, scooped them both up into each arm, and nearly crushed them to death in a hug.

Which is what led to Harry now panting to catch his breath, halfway holding Ginny up as she did the same, and feeling like he had at least one broken rib.

"Sorry, sorry," repeated Hagrid, mopping his tears off his face with a handkerchief, "I'm jus' so happy for yeh, 'Arry." He enthusiastically wagged an enormous finger at them, "I always had a feelin' 'bout you two, yeh know!"

"Thank you, Hagrid," said Ginny cheerfully, regaining her breath and her composure, "it does rather make sense, doesn't it? Nice to know _some_ people didn't take so long to notice," she said accusingly, playfully elbowing Harry in the side. Harry thought he was getting comfortable with people realizing that they were together, but his face turned red once again for the upteenth time that afternoon.

Hagrid laughed and finally managed to stop crying, "All right, I gotta get back to the gardens. I'll let you two lovebirds enjoy the view." And with that he started walking back towards the castle.

Harry thought he was in the clear and was starting to relax again when Hagrid called one last comment at them over his shoulder, "I think I hear wedding bells!"

Harry wanted to throw himself into the lake and drown. " _HAGRID!_ " he yelled crossly, but the sound of Hagrid's bellowing laughter was already retreating. He worked up the courage and looked back at Ginny to see that she was also blushing at that. But instead of awkward silence, there were merely several moments of both of them trying not to laugh, ultimately failing as they sat on the ground and leaned against the tree.

"Well, that's got to be the worst of it, right?" asked Harry hopefully as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "We've got to be on the other side of this nonsense by now." He wasn't sure why so many people seemed to find this so fascinating.

"No, I still need to write to my mum," Ginny responded, nuzzling up to him, "Trust me, _that_ will be the worst of it."

Harry's breath hitched. In the months he had spent fantasizing about this exact moment, how had he never once considered that? He was so busy worrying about Ron and how he would react that it never even occurred to him what Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would think, not to mention her other brothers. He felt his stomach sink with dread as he imagined the "fun" that Fred and George would no doubt consider it their brotherly duty to have at his expense.

Ginny noticed his reaction and looked up at him, "What's wrong?"

Harry nervously scratched the back of his head with his free hand, "Well...to be honest I hadn't even thought of your parents. I love your whole family, Ginny, they've been so good to me, but I guess that's going to change. Maybe that'll be Ron's silver lining, he's always accused me of being _your_ parents' favorite child."

Ginny pulled away from him so he could more easily see her thoroughly confused expression, "What? No—I mean yes, you absolutely are, but why would that change?"

Harry shrugged, "Well, you know. I'm dating their daughter. Their _only_ daughter. Their sweet, innocent—"

Ginny snorted with laughter

"—youngest child. So they _have_ to dislike me, isn't that just how it works? It's….I don't know, _protocol,_ I guess."

Ginny let out a long, pointed groan and rolled her eyes, "Harry Potter, how are you still this bloody stupid? Not only will my mum be thrilled, she's going to be absolutely _insufferable_."

She drew that last word out, like she was picturing every conversation with her mum that was coming, "She's going to _constantly_ complain that I'm not giving her enough details in my letters, send me magazine clippings for new dresses and notes about how you'll love to see me in them—"

"I mean, if she's offering—" Ginny slapped his arm.

"—and I give it six months before she gives me the first sideways-glancing 'joke' about grandchildren. You know me, the fact that you _aren't_ a bad-influence boyfriend that I can use to tick off my parents is my biggest complaint about you."

"Hey, I can be that bloke if you want," Harry said as if casually offering a snack.

"Aw, no sweet boy," Ginny said condescendingly, pinching his cheek, "you really can't. My parents are more than aware of which of us is the bad influence over the other."

Harry knew she was just baiting him, and she knew he was just having fun taking the bait, "Hey, I'm dangerous! I cost Gryffindor a hundred and fifty points and got detention my very first year!"

"Yeah Harry, to help our dear Hagrid save his pet. That's the most adorable reason for detention ever."

"I spent all of third year sneaking off to Hogsmeade without permission!"

"And did nothing but buy sweets and butterbeer," she sighed, "so uncreative, what a waste."

"I got you into a fight with _Death Eaters_ last year, Miss Weasley."

"I got _myself_ into a fight with Death Eaters after you tried your hardest to leave me behind and charge off into danger on your own, so great was your concern for your lady love's safety" She was sarcastically fluttering her eyelashes, but genuinely digging her fingers into his robes and pulling him closer, like the excitement of her own story was getting to her.

Harry couldn't keep his false indignation up any longer and broke out into a grin so wide it felt like it couldn't be contained on his face.

"You know, I think you might be getting things out of order," he whispered to her, getting even closer until the tips of their noses grazed together, "you weren't my lady love at the time."

Ginny made a casually thoughtful face, her lips pouting until they were just a hair's breadth away from Harry's, "Hmm….no, I'm pretty sure I was. Maybe you just hadn't gotten the memo yet."

She crawled her fingers up his chest and around to the back of his neck, "Sorry Potter, you're just going to have to face the fact that you're the safe, boring gentleman that parents hope their daughters end up with. I'm just glad I decided to snog you here instead of back home, that way I can send my mum a letter and she can get her crying out of the way in private."

Harry tightened his grip around her shoulders with one arm and snaked his other around her waist. His eyes closed as she started playing with his hair. "I guess it isn't so bad to be the good guy," he whispered and brought his lips to hers.

It started out playful and tender, but as had been the story all afternoon, their kissing quickly became more aggressive and eager. But before Harry's brain became _completely_ incapable of rational thought, he suddenly noticed something odd in her choice of words.

"Wait," he said, pulling away from her, "Back that up. What did you say?"

Ginny rolled her eyes again, "Well yeah, Harry, she's _obviously_ going to cry, this is another step in her grand plan to officially adopt you."

"No, the earlier part," said Harry, raising a skeptical eyebrow, "The part about you deciding to snog me?"

Ginny leaned further away from him and gave him a serious look, eyeing him as if he had gone mad, "Um….yeah? I mean, it wasn't _completely_ premeditated, I finally made up my mind when I saw you climbing through the portrait hole with that big, dumb grin on your face and knew that _I_ put it there by being the cleverest, quickest, most skilled, most beautiful—"

"—Not to mention humble—"

"—Quidditch player in the world. So—and I guess since you _apparently_ need a recap—I threw myself into your arms and planted a big wet one on you."

" _There._ Right there at the end," said Harry, pointing an accusing finger in her face, "Why are you lying about that?"

"Really? It felt wet to me..."

"No, that's not—" Harry sputtered, "I'm the one that kissed you!"

Ginny's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open in a very convincing-looking display of shock.

"...Are. You. _Serious!?_ " She completely removed herself from his embrace and sat on her knees facing him with her arms crossed, "I cannot _believe_ you!"

"Hey, I think I have a right to be proud of myself!" said Harry, not backing down. He _was_ proud of himself. "I caught you, lifted you up, and kissed you, it was very romantic!"

"Yes, it _was_ very romantic, it was the most romantic thing _I've_ ever done, and I'm not letting _you_ steal credit for it, _sir!_ " she emphasized each point by poking him hard in the chest.

" _I'm_ trying to steal credit? Is this seriously happening right now?"

"You tell me."

Harry didn't know why she was sticking to this story. He could see her doing this around their friends to pull his leg, but there was no one else around, who was this for? He was genuinely confused and a _tiny_ bit annoyed, but mostly he was trying not to laugh, and he could tell Ginny was feeling the same way.

"So I bravely throw caution to the wind and kiss the girl I fancy, in front of everyone, with no regard to what it does to my reputation or my relationship with my best friend and the only family I've ever known," he put on his best "sad puppy" face, "after a _whole childhood_ of being lonely and unloved, and you're taking that away from me?"

Ginny made an effort to look unimpressed, "Okay first of all, don't try to distract me with your sexy tragic backstory. Second, I finally become confident in myself enough to move past embarrassment, anxiety, and evil possession to kiss the boy I've _always_ fancied, in front of everyone, and you're taking that away from me? I owe this to the awkward 11-year-old who was too impressed to even talk to you."

Harry clutched his chest like his feelings had been hurt, "What, are you saying you're not impressed with me now?"

Ginny smirked. " _Now_ I know that you're a thick, stubborn, melodramatic git with an insufferable nobility streak and misplaced martyr complex," She leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose, "much less intimidating."

She spread out sideways, propping herself up with one arm and ran her fingers through her hair as it caught the setting sun, knowing full well what that was doing to him.

"Besides, you already got to rescue the fair maiden by slaying a monster with a damn _sword_ ," she said the last word with annoyed disbelief, "I already have _that_ cliché hanging over my head, you don't get this one too."

"Now, I don't know about that," said Harry, thoughtfully stroking his chin, "Okay, yes, I did _somewhat_ heroically defeat the mighty beast and save the damsel in distress—"

"Call me that again and see what happens."

"—But you were asleep for the part where I got myself poisoned after letting the bird do most of the work. Besides, you've already got the love poetry cliché. That one's actually cute instead of ridiculous."

Ginny reached over and earnestly grabbed Harry's arm, "Okay Harry, if this is going to work you have _got_ to stop this self-depreciation and downplaying of all of the ridiculous things you do. There's no point in dating a hero if I can't gloat about it. Oh, and Harry?"

She sulturally slithered back up to his side and whispered into his ear, "If you ever mention that poem again, I'll kill you myself, 'Chosen One' be damned."

Harry didn't want to think about the effect _that_ had on him, so he changed tactics, "You know, I drove myself crazy fancying you for _months_ while you got to be in a happy relationship, just let me have this."

Ginny seemed to have no sympathy for him, "I was obsessed with you for _years_ and you were only _forced_ to notice that I was a girl after my breasts grew two sizes and you saw me snogging another bloke. Sorry Potter, _I outrank you._ "

Harry was laughing out loud now and shrugging at the sheer ridiculousness of this conversation, "Well...I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree."

But Ginny's sarcasm was finally dropping and she seemed legitimately upset at the thought of this not being settled.

"No, we will absolutely _not_ 'agree to disagree!'" she practically shouted at him, "We don't have to, I caught the whole thing on camera!"

Her voice instantly caught in her throat and her eyes widened as she realized how that sounded.

Harry meanwhile had shot his eyebrows up into his bangs and split his face into a gawking grin, "... _Whaaaaat?"_

All of Ginny's previous bravado and confidence had vanished and she was once again a shy, terrified eleven year old.

"That….that came out—" she sputtered, "just let me explain—"

" _What_ cameras? How long have you been spying on me, Miss Weasley? Should I search my dormitory for more cameras?" He looked scared and lowered his voice, " _How much have you seen?"_

Ginny's face matched her hair, "No, I meant—"

"Ginny, be honest, have you bribed any house elves to steal my t-shirts?" Harry asked in a disapproving voice with his hands on his hips.

"Hey, shut up!"

"Should I go to Slughorn?" he looked away thoughtfully, "Am I the latest victim of a love potion?"

"You know what, forget it, I'm dumping you," she made a move to get up, "Took longer than I thought it would, to be hones— _eek!_ "

Ginny squealed as Harry grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back down into his lap. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp as he started tickling her ribs and armpits.

"Oh no, it's far too late for that!" Harry cried dramatically, "I have already been ensnared by the diabolical enchantment of an obsessed _fangirl!"_ He drew her close and kissed her hard on her cheek, then started moving downward, planting light kisses down the length of her neck.

In response, Ginny's breath quickened and her eyes fluttered shut, but she still tried to put him in his place, "Don't….you dare….call me that….you son of a…."

She summoned all her willpower, swallowed hard, and pushed him away from her to arm's length, " _COLIN!"_ she managed to gasp out.

Harry just sat with a furrowed brow in silence for a few seconds then looked away, "...Huh. You know I have to say, of all the blokes I was afraid my girlfriend might accidentally call out to while I'm snogging her, Colin was…..not high on the list. Well, good for him, I won't get in the way of you two—"

"Colin's _camera_ , you obnoxious arsehole. He was taking pictures of the celebration, and I told him to make sure to get one of your reaction as soon as you came through the portrait hole. I heard it go off during my moment of bravery."

Harry had to set the argument aside for a moment to seize that opportunity for a line, "You know, I thought I saw a flash of light out of the corner of my eye, but I thought I was just seeing stars from kissing the cleverest, quickest, most skilled, most beautiful Quidditch player in the world"

He leaned in to kiss her again, but was stopped by Ginny aggressively pressing her index finger to his lips. He saw a devilish grin on her face.

"You're trying to distract me because you know that I've got you," she accused, "I have _proof_."

"Or maybe I'm just trying to graciously offer you an out to drop the subject because _I_ have proof. I'd hate for you to be embarrassed," Harry said as Ginny groaned and turned away from him. "See, look, you're getting too shy to look me in the eyes," Harry teased, "and I know how much you love doing that."

He decided to _really_ push his luck and leaned in from behind her to whisper in her ear, "I know how much you love that they're….as green as a fresh pickled toad."

Ginny turned around and gasped at his audacity, "Oh, you did _not!_ That is _it!_ You are _dead_ , you are _so_ dead!" She stood up, "we are doing this _right_ now," she declared and started storming off back towards the castle.

Harry sighed. "This isn't going to be a _Thing,_ is it?" he called after her.

Ginny didn't turn back to face him, just called over her shoulder, "Oh it is _absolutely_ a Thing, Harry Potter!"

* * *

By the time they got back to the castle, dinner had just started, with only a few students already there and more trickling in. Ginny burst into the Great Hall, causing many turned heads, with Harry trailing a few steps behind her, still chuckling the whole way. As she strode past where Hermione, Ron, and Neville were sitting, Hermione looked up and started beaming at them.

She tried to start teasing the two of them, "And how have _you two_ been—"

"Not now!" Ginny cut her off.

"Just a second," Harry said apologetically as Hermione looked confused.

They continued on to the other end of the table where Colin was sitting with his brother. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Ginny slapped her palm down on the table and leaned toward him, reminding Harry of a "Bad Cop" from an American crime show.

"Alright, Camera Boy, where's the pictures from the party? Hand them over."

Colin instinctively leaned away from the intensity in Ginny's eyes. He frantically looked back and forth between her and Harry standing behind her, who was shaking his head and still smiling.

His brain finally caught up with Ginny, "Um….I haven't developed them yet."

"Well then what the hell are you doing here?" Ginny demanded, "Go get to work, _chop chop!"_ she added, clapping her hands.

"Why is this so urgent?" Colin asked, the confusion on his face giving way to annoyance, "I took them to put in the trophy case with the Quidditch Cup, but the Cup doesn't go in the case until—"

"Forget the case, Creevey, there's _evidence_ in those photos, you might have taken the most important photo of your life."

This seemed to pique his interest a little, "Evidence of what, exactly?"

"Of Harry Potter's greatest humiliation." Ginny answered, completely deadpan.

Colin rolled his eyes. It seemed that any possibility that this really was about one of the Very Important Things Harry and his clique always got involved in was negated by Harry stifling laughter so hard behind her that his face had turned red.

"Can I at least finish my pie first?"

"Yes, no rush," answered Harry.

" _No!"_ answered Ginny.

Colin groaned and started getting up, "Fine, if it means you'll leave me alone."

"Sorry, we appreciate it," apologized Harry as Ginny started strutting triumphantly back down the table. Colin nodded and waved him off to say it was okay.

Harry caught up with her, "You know, that wasn't very polite."

"I'm the Chosen One's girlfriend," she said, winking at him, "I'm entitled to be a bit of a brat."

When they got back to their group, Hermione and Neville were looking at them questioningly. Ron was preoccupied with his roast beef, looking a bit grumpy but not entirely miserable.

"What was _that_ about?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh," Harry sighed, embarrassed by the specifics, "We have different stories of what exactly went down in the common room today, and now it's...a _Thing."_

With that, Ron perked up and stretched his open palm out to Neville, "HA! Pay up!"

"I will not pay up!" Neville scoffed, "They're having a Thing, that doesn't mean they've broken up!"

Harry and Ginny's jaws dropped open at Ron. "You made a _bet_ that we would break up by the end of the day?" Harry asked.

"No," Ron answered with his mouth full, "I made a bet that you'd break up by the end of the _week."_ He shrugged, "but I guess I overestimated you. You're both even more pigheaded than I thought."

"We're not broken up. This will be over once Harry sees the evidence, admits that I'm right, and never questions me again," Ginny stated very matter-of-factly.

Harry shook his head and looked at her, feeling another rush of disbelief at how lucky he was, "Trust me Ginny, after this I'll never question you again either way."

* * *

It was about half an hour later that Colin came back into the Great Hall and dropped a large stack of photographs in front of Ginny, " _There."_

She started flipping through them at lightning speed until Harry saw her eyes light up and she stopped. She watched for a second before her face split into a triumphant grin.

"Oh I've _got_ you!" she joyfully told Harry, and slammed the photo down on the table in front of him, "Read 'em and weep, Potter!"

Harry looked at the photograph, and watched himself as he caught Ginny in his arms, and she reached around his neck and drew him in for a kiss.

" _That's_ what this is about? Your snogging display?" Colin asked with annoyance, "Do I _want_ to know what you wanted that for?"

"I just needed to show Harry that I was the one who kissed him because he wasn't man enough, and that I will never let him live that down," Ginny answered, acting polite again with her victory secured.

"Wait, wait, hold on," said Harry, holding up a finger, "what do we have here…."

He pointed back at the photo, where the animation was playing out again. But this time, after catching Ginny, Harry twisted his fingers into her hair and pulled her into the kiss.

Ginny's mouth fell open and she looked like she had been insulted, "What the—"

But the loop started yet again and this time they both drew into the kiss at the exact same time.

Ginny spun around at Colin, "Well there's clearly something wrong with your camera, it can't make up its mind!"

Colin pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yeah Ginny, you know that magical photos don't just do the same thing over and over. The motion doesn't capture details that specific, it's not an exact recreation of what happened. You need a video camera for that, that's one of the weird ways magic is actually worse than a simple Muggle device. The photo just captures the…. _spirit_ of a composition. The subjects behave in a way reflective to how the real people were _feeling_ in the moment. So…."

He picked up the photo and examined it, "It seems that no matter what the details actually were, in that moment both of you were thinking about… _._ doing…. _that."_ he ended with his face starting to turn red.

Hermione, as always, tried to be a diplomat, "Well, I guess that finally settles that."

"It does _not_ settle that!" Ginny retorted, "I don't care who was _thinking_ about it, we'd both been _thinking_ about it for ages, we need to settle who had the guts to actually _do_ it."

"Oh, I think it's settled," Harry said cheekily, "I'm the bold and rash one here, that's my entire _thing._ " He patted her on the hand in a showy display of sympathy. "But we can tell people it was you if that makes you feel better," he finished in a super condescending tone that he knew would make her absolutely livid.

Ginny's eyes lit up with hot fury and she turned toward the others, "You were all there! You saw me kiss him, right?"

Hermione held up her hands in defense, but was still grinning, "Hey, I was just glad _somebody_ was finally kissing _somebody."_

"Um….I was pouring myself another drink at that moment," Neville mumbled, "I didn't actually see it happen."

All heads turned towards Ron.

"Well don't look at me," Ron grunted, "I've already blocked the whole thing from my memory."

This made both Harry and Ginny laugh and relax.

"You're lying because you can't admit that I'm even braver than the great Harry Potter," Ginny teased, still smiling.

" _You're_ lying in order to punish me for taking so long to realize that I wanted to kiss you," Harry answered.

They were both going in circles, but Harry was having far too much fun with their first "fight" to let it end.

"Tell you what," Harry said, scooching closer to her, "There's one last way to prove which of us is telling the truth. You want to break into Slughorn's office tonight and steal some veritaserum?

"Aw," Ginny swooned and planted another kiss on his lips, invoking the first of many proud smirks from Hermione and the first of many groans from Ron, "I bet you say that to all the girls."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically just every bit of banter I've ever thought of for these two thrown together.
> 
> I've always loved the idea that Harry and Ginny are AWARE of how ridiculously cliche their romance is.


	2. Chapter 2

Ginny was standing alone in the common room, alone, finally allowing the hot tears to flow down her face. The room was empty, everyone else having left to start making their way down to the Hogwarts Express for the journey home. Ever since her and Harry's conversation at Dumbledore's funeral, she hadn't allowed him, Ron, or anyone else to see her cry. And that wasn't easy, since people were always looking sideways at her and sharing gossipy whispers about her. Even though she hadn't told anyone about her breakup (a part of her still denied that they really had broken up), the whole bloody school already seemed to know about it.

_Which I suppose is the whole point_ , she thought bitterly.

So she took whatever small moments of privacy she could get to safely fall apart. As she stood at the window of the common room, she desperately clutched the thing that was rapidly becoming the most precious object in the world to her: the photograph of her and Harry's kiss after winning the Quidditch Cup. Her tears dripped down her face and splashed onto the smaller, happier versions of herself and the boy she cared about so much.

Ginny had never in her life felt so helpless and powerless. She felt like walls were closing in around her and everyone she loved. Even when she was suffering under the Diary, there was always a part of her that held out hope that someone else could come in and help her. But now, everyone was as afraid as she was. She had just been told that her boyfriend, her brother, and her best friend planned on leaving her soon, and had no intention of taking her with them.

_As if I'll be any safer here_ , she thought, her face screwing up with fury at him. The entire reason why Hogwarts was considered so safe was that Dumbledore was here to protect it. With him dead, it was only a matter of time before You-Know-Who took over completely, then there would be nowhere safe for anyone, not even the pure-bloods. It would be everyone for themselves, too busy keeping their heads down to survive to worry about protecting anyone else. If this was truly the end of it all, then you might as well spend the end with people you love, but she was being denied even that.

She stared harder and harder at the photograph, this image of the happiest moment in her life, but despite herself, she found her feelings mirroring Harry's words. That the time in the photo was a dream, something out of someone else's life. The new reality was getting harder to ignore.

She lost track of time as she stood crying at the window, when she heard someone awkwardly clear their throat behind her.

Ginny jumped and spun around on the sofa to see Colin standing there, looking grim and sympathetic.

"I...uh...forgot something," he said, holding up a book he had left on an armchair.

Before she could wipe away her tears, hide the photograph, or come up with some excuse, Colin cut her off.

"You know, I think that might be my favorite photo I've ever taken."

She was distracted from her shame and despair by sheer surprise and confusion. She stopped trying to hide the photo and looked at it again. She didn't see why it would be special to anyone besides her and Harry.

"...Why?" she asked him quietly.

He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts as he sat down on a nearby sofa. Without thinking, she sat down next to him.

"My mum was the one who got me into photography. She's a photojournalist at a muggle newspaper. She used to tell me that photography, more than any other art form, reveals Truth. The goal is to convey as much as possible about a moment in time, using just one still image. Well, these images aren't still, so I guess they can contain even more Truth.

"Point is, before photography, all of history was just a matter of hearsay and revision, constructed by writers and painters. But with the invention of cameras, you could suddenly say beyond a shadow of a doubt that a moment had occurred." He pointed to the picture in her hand, "That day _happened_ , and as long as that photo exists, no one can deny that, no one can un-make it. And that's part of why this might be the shot of my career. It portrays Harry Potter as being happy and normal, no angst in sight. Who would believe that actually happened if I hadn't caught it on film?"

Miraculously, Ginny actually managed to chuckle.

"But at the same time," Colin continued, serious again, "it's a mistake to just fill the frame with as much information as you can, it's about recognizing what information is important. Sometimes too many _facts_ can get in the way of the _Truth_. That's another benefit of magical film, as we found out later that day."

Ginny smiled again as she reminisced about how the photograph had sparked her first "fight" with Harry.

"You know what my favorite thing about this shot is?" he asked, looking at the image thoughtfully. "You can't see his scar. I was standing on the wrong side. Just looking at this image, you wouldn't guess that anyone in it was a central figure in some war. It's just a boy kissing a girl, with nothing else to worry about, which, at that moment, it was. The scar is a _fact_ that matters to a lot of people, but it would prevent the _Truth_ from being revealed. This, more than any cover photo on the _Prophet_ , is Harry's Truth. It's not how the world sees him, but how he sees himself.

They sat in silence for several seconds. Ginny's tears had stopped.

"Well," Colin coughed, now looking a bit more uncomfortable, "I got what I came for. Don't miss the train, okay?" He climbed out of the portrait hole, and she was alone again.

But she didn't feel as alone or as helpless as she had a moment ago. She was still sad, and angry, but the pit of despair in her belly had been replaced with a tight knot of resolve.

Because Colin was right. She was holding the proof: this moment had happened, and all the evil in the world couldn't erase it. That time in her life _wasn't_ a dream. It was real. It wasn't something out of someone else's life. This was Harry's life. _Her_ life.

_Their_ life.

This was Truth. This was how their lives were supposed to be, without evil and hatred. This was what they deserved, and what had been stolen from them. And this wouldn't be the end of everything. She wasn't going to resign herself, or run away. Whether it was with Harry, with her family, or here at whatever Hogwarts became, she was going to hurt the people who took this away from her, and make sure this became their new, permanent Truth.

She folded the photograph back into her pocket, grabbed her trunk, and left the empty room, ready to face whatever came next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Chapter 2 to a one-shot that nobody asked for. After posting this story, I started to think of it in the context of a few story ideas, each with a first part that's really fluffy and takes place during the happy times, then second and third parts that are really angsty that take place after everything goes to shit, but they reflect each other in some way.
> 
> I actually wrote this entire story taking place just after school started during Deathly Hallows, but then remembered that Colin wouldn't have been there, so I had to write the whole damn thing over again.


	3. Chapter 3

"You ready?"

Ginny jumped out of her thoughts while standing at her bedroom window. She turned and saw Harry in her doorway, dressed in the black formal muggle clothes he had bought yesterday.

"Oh, er, yeah," she stammered, nervously fidgeting with her own black dress.

He gave her a half-hearted smile and motioned with his head for them to get going, and headed down the stairs. She grabbed her offering off of her dresser (making sure Harry didn't see it) and followed him downstairs.

It had been a week since the battle, and they hadn't said more than a few words to each other. There were _so many_ things that she wanted to say to him, but every time they were alone in a room together, her throat would just close up and he would stand there opening and closing his mouth, like he was starting a hundred thoughts that he couldn't finish.

It wasn't like there was any doubt in Ginny's mind that she wanted to be with him again. It's what she had thought about for the past year, the thing she had held onto to give her hope. But now, the idea also terrified her. Because this wasn't how it was _supposed_ to happen. This wouldn't include all of the moments she had been fantasizing about for months.

Her mother won't be insufferably, embarrassingly happy for them, grinning every time they kissed and making inappropriate comments about weddings. She would instead just smile weakly before distracting herself with another task, and likely even respect their boundaries. Ginny hated that idea.

Ron wouldn't pretend to be obnoxiously disgusted by their relationship while secretly being happy for them. If he cared one way or the other at all, he would just be genuinely relieved that they were finding comfort with each other right now. The stupid git.

But the worst thing of all, if she finally got back together with her famous, heroic boyfriend, the boy she had crushed on since before she even met him….Fred wouldn't be there to relentlessly tease her about it. That had been a central part of all the scenarios that had played in her head whenever she would start to despair over the past year. The twins would barge into some room on her and Harry kissing, they'd make some sarcastic comment that implied they would unleash some kind of brotherly retribution on Harry to defend her honor, and he would blush adorably because he was gullible enough to actually believe it. Then, of course, she would answer with her own far wittier remark to put them in their place and snog her boyfriend even harder just to prove a point.

But that was gone. Countless moments over the coming years that would have happened — that _should_ have happened — were gone now, into nothingness. She knew that, eventually, her mother and Ron would return to their old selves. She doubted that George would ever be completely the same, but would probably learn to laugh and joke again. But not Fred. There would be no version of him. No healing for him, no aging. Forever a sarcastic young git who never got to finish his last joke—

She was yanked out of her thoughts and cried out as she slipped and wobbled in her high heels and tripped on the last stair. Her stomach dropped out and she fell forward, about to faceplant right on the floor…

But instead, she crashed into something soft and inviting, and her nostrils took in a scent that filled her with a familiar warm feeling. Harry had reacted in time and caught her as she fell.

She looked up into his eyes and nearly melted, so happy she was to be in his arms again. But a moment later she was filled with disgust at herself for daring to feel happy, and she stiffened and looked away from him. She stepped away from him awkwardly and she couldn't look up as she heard his disappointed sigh.

"Sorry…" he muttered nervously. She winced and tried to say something, but footsteps from further up the stairs signaled Ron and Hermione joining them, and her voice failed her again. Without another word, Harry turned and led the way out of the house.

Ginny was internally screaming at herself that she was making everything worse, that showing Harry in no uncertain terms what he meant to her would have no downsides and make her feel better.

But she didn't _want_ to feel better. She didn't _want_ everyone to learn to be themselves again. That would mean admitting that this was normal now, and not some terrible dream, or something out of someone else's life. She knew that being with Harry would truly start a new part of her life, and what right did she have to move on with her life when Fred never would, or Tonks, or Lupin. Or Colin.

The four of them walked down from the Burrow and past the protective wards. Hermione linked her arm with Ron's and they disappeared with a pop. Apparently, her friend had forgotten that Ginny couldn't Disapparate yet.

Harry held his arm out to her with a shy smile, and she linked it with hers, that stupid warm feeling coming back again. She felt the unpleasant squeezing sensation of Apparition and, after a few moments, they landed so hard at their destination that she stumbled and Harry steadied her with his arms again.

"Sorry…" he muttered again. It was one of his favorite words these days.

"I swear I'm not doing that on purpose," she heard herself saying in a flirty voice, then her eyes widened in embarrassment.

He gave her another half-smile, this one not looking quite so miserable, and they started walking to join up with Ron and Hermione.

They had apparated into an alleyway in a small town in Cornwall. The four of them walked out to the street and made their way past the houses. When they arrived at the church, they saw the expected mix of people who looked like they belonged, and others who were conspicuously dressed in mismatched Muggle clothes.

They entered the building and Dennis spotted them. He excused himself from a group of muggles and moved to greet them.

"I can't tell you all how much we appreciate you being here," he said in a low voice, "it really would have meant the world to him. Especially you, Harry."

Ginny looked sideways at Harry and saw his face turn read and his throat move as he gulped hard.

"Are you parents around, Dennis?" Ginny asked, saving Harry from having to say anything.

Dennis's face fell even more. "Yeah, they're near the front, close to…..him. I wouldn't bother offering your condolences, though, they've been less than friendly towards our school friends," he said apologetically, "They….they don't want me going back to Hogwarts next year."

Hermione audibly gasped. "They can't!" she said, "You haven't even gotten your O.W.L.s yet, there's barely any jobs you can get without them!"

"Well, that's the thing," Dennis muttered bitterly, "They don't want me getting a magical job at all. They think I should just leave all that behind and go to a muggle school. We already had to go on the run last year, they don't understand why I want to stay in a world where a cult leader gains power and tries to kill people like me every few decades. They think that if Colin had never gotten that letter, then he'd still be alive.

" _I_ don't think that, though," he added quickly, seeing the looks on their faces, "Magic is part of who I am, and it's a part of who Colin was, we can't just put that back in a box. Hogwarts was the first place we felt accepted, and I'm not going to give that up just when we finally won it back. I'm proud to know that my brother died helping Harry Potter save the world."

"That's not—"

"We all brought offerings," Ginny cut Harry off again, "Should we add them now?"

"Yeah sure, go ahead," said Dennis, pointing towards a line of people that led towards a large pinboard at the front of the church near the casket.

As they moved forward, they all reached for their offerings in their pockets. This was a muggle funeral, with many muggle friends of the Creeveys in attendance, so the dozens of photos that covered the pinboard weren't moving, the wizards bringing non-magical copies of their favorite photos. Photos that had been given to them by Colin Creevey. As they approached the front, Ginny saw images she recognized, left by their fellow Gryffindor friends that they had already spotted sitting elsewhere in the church. A shot of Dean bent over laughing at some joke Seamus was telling with a smug look on his face. Demelza gagging after that time Ginny had dared her to try firewhiskey. Parvati and Lavender in their Yule Ball outfits.

Ron and Hermione arrived at the pinboard, picked up some thumb tacks and posted their offerings. Ginny was unsurprised to see what Ron's was: an image of him grinning ear to ear, holding aloft the Quidditch Cup, sitting hoisted into the air by his fellow Gryffindors, who Ginny knew were singing their rewritten version of "Weasley is Our King."

Ginny had no idea what to expect Hermione's to be, but once she saw it she found it unsurprising too: a candid shot Colin had taken covertly, of Hermione and Ron sitting on the floor of the common room, books and essays open in front of them, with Hermione clearly trying and failing to help Ron with his homework. His face was screwed up in concentration and frustration, while she was looking at him with patience and obvious affection.

Once Ron and Hermione moved on, it was Harry and Ginny's turn. As they were reaching into their pockets, she saw him wince while looking at something behind her. She turned around and saw a despondent looking man and woman sitting near the casket, clearly Colin's parents. They were whispering to each other and both looking over at Harry. They probably recognized him, as much as Colin prized his picture with Harry that Colin had managed to get in his first year.

Ginny put her hand on his arm and squeezed it, causing him to look back at her.

"They probably think I asked him to fight," Harry said softly, "That if I wasn't such a bad influence then Colin would have just kept his head down and stayed out of danger."

"That's ridiculous," Ginny answered plainly, "You _know_ it's ridiculous. Colin fought because he was a Gryffindor."

"It's just…." said Harry, wringing his hands, determined to blame himself for _something,_ "What Dennis said….it just makes me think about how much I used to dismiss him. Would it have really been so bad to give him one autograph?"

Ginny almost actually laughed. "Harry Potter, if you were capable of signing autographs, under any circumstances, then you wouldn't be the person he looked up to so much. Come on, we're holding up the line."

She blushed furiously, steeled herself, and reached into her pocket to take out her favorite photo: a still version of Harry and herself kissing for the first time in the common room, after they won the Quidditch Cup. She was incredibly embarrassed to bring it, with everything with her and Harry still unsaid, but this image had brought her so much comfort over the past year that she owed this to Colin.

"Oh…." she heard in a quiet voice from beside her. She turned to look at Harry, and saw him holding his own offering: an identical copy of the same photo. They caught each other's eyes, looking embarrassed, before smiling and chuckling in relief.

"Should….should we just leave one? Yours or mine?" he asked.

"No," said Ginny firmly, "If it's both of our choices, then it should be up twice. I don't think he would mind, he told me once that he was really proud of it."

They walked away and sat with Ron and Hermione in the front pew. Later, Ginny wouldn't be able to remember most of the service. She let it wash over her in the same daze she had spent the last week, the whole thing still not seeming real. When Colin's mother began speaking through tears about her son's talent for capturing Truth in a single moment, her eyes drifted back towards the pinboard, and the twin photos posted next to each other of that magical moment.

Her mind drifted back to the first time she had seen that photo, when she and Harry had been playfully fighting about who kissed who first. The photo versions of themselves hadn't settled things, a different version playing every time they kissed. But looking at it now, Ginny found that she actually preferred the muggle version of the photo better. It didn't tell multiple contradictory stories, it just told one. It didn't attempt to show the Facts of who initiated the kiss, the Truth that it told was that it didn't matter. It just showed a boy and a girl kissing, because they loved each other.

That day, Ginny had been defensive of her fantasy being questioned, the fantasy that she had finally kissed the boy she was crazy about, in her moment of bravery, after the biggest accomplishment in her life. That's how it was _supposed_ to be. She was so hung up about it, that it had caused her to pause from the actual kissing of said boy.

Just like she wasn't letting herself be with him now.

She looked back and forth between the young man next to her and their pair of photos, and summoning her strength, she started crying as she let all of those comforting plans go, along with the kind boy in the casket who had given her this precious memory, and her brother who never got to finish his joke.

This wasn't a dream, this was her life. But she _had_ a life, unlike so many others. And she wasn't going to waste any more of it pining for what might have been. She was going to live her life making as many new memories as she could, she owed all of them that.

Harry noticed her crying, and hesitantly moved his hands toward her, without touching it. She eagerly finished the job, grasping his hand for dear life and entwining her fingers in his. She looked into his eyes and saw them full of surprise and glistening with the threat of tears of their own. Without saying anything, she buried her face into his shoulder and let her tears soak into his jacket. She felt him hesitate for a second, before placing an affectionate kiss to the crown of her head. Ginny closed her eyes at the small comfort.

All was not well, but it would be.


End file.
